Ablation vs. pacemaker?

Question

My brother has had atrial fib for twenty two years. He took the basic run of the mill meds all those years. His heart has been enlarged all those years also. It has not gotten worse, he never passed out, and other than becoming fatigued he never really had any hinderences from this condition. He even was able to be pretty darned active, ( just a year ago his car wouldn't start and his neighbors crack hoe shack job was running her lips that it was parked too far in front of her boyfriends house, and she couldn't get a truck in to move her stuff out before the jerk got home, so he goes out, and puts it in park and pushes it up the street out of her way). Well this winter he was out in the wind ,and cold, and got short of breath, was in tachacardia, and went to the E.R. They gave him some injection, and along with deep breathing it came down, and he was o.k.. Well now as a precautionary measure they want to put a pacer defibrillator in him. Another doctor outside of this hospital said to look into ablation therapy. My brother really doesn't want a machine in his chest , and wires in his heart. He does not have any valve problems. Should he let the first hospital put in the pacer defib., or check out ablation? Why wouldn't the first hospital have mentioned ablation as an alternative? Or is it not an alternative? My brother has never had V fib.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

I have episodes of v tach on a daily basis... junior year in high school i got an ablation operation and it had no affect to my condition .totally worthless.. they wanted to place a ICD which is like a pacemaker but now since i am over age 19 i made the choice not to get it.  Just bc i think im young and having a ICD would limit me a lot , so its all up to your bro

Anonymous · Answer

Ablation Vs Pacemaker

Anonymous · Answer

For patients with enlarged hearts and ejection fractions that are less than 35% multiple large studies overwhelmingly support ICD implantation as the best method to keep him alive. Ablation is more useful to improve quality of life but not longevity.

mildred f · Answer

The pacemaker/ICD will make him feel tons better.  Studies were done of people who had congestive heart failure and they could easily tell when their pacing was turned off.

An ablation would always be done in his situation.

If he is having an ICD, or even a pacemaker, that does not change his date with death, just makes him have a much better quality of life.

When he gets really bad heart disease, without these things implanted, he will only be able to sit in a chair.  Nothing else.  Eating and breathing will be an effort.

Anonymous · Answer

HELLO, I'M A RETIRED MEDICAL CLINICIAN, WHOM HAS THE LIMITED INFO YOU HAVE PROVIDED...SO BEAR WITH ME, FOR I MAY ONLY PROVIDE MY MEDICAL OPINION, WHICH MAY BE FACTUAL TO MY EXPERIENCES, BUT BY NO MEANS, DO ONLY WHAT I SAY....BUT GET OTHER OPINONS.
AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT MY OPINION IS.....
GET A SECOND OPINION.....QUICKLY......TIME IS TICKING.
I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT ABLATION OF ATRIAL FIB.......I've ALWAYS KNOWN PATIENTS TO GET THE PACEMAKER......BUT THAT ISN'T WHAT'S BEST.....BUT MORE....OF WHAT IS USUALLY DONE....
getting A SCOND OPINION.....AND HOPING THAT DOCTOR WILL EXPLAIN SOME THING TOO....WOULD BE NICE.
GET HIM TO ANOTHER CARDIOLOGIST SOON....SO YOU WILL NOT SCREW UP ANY PLANS......AND KEEP THIS GOING FORWARD.......BECAUSE WHILE YOU STOP AND WORRY ABOUT THIS OR THAT....HE CAN DIE FROM BLOOD CLOTS AND ABNORMAL CARDIAC RHYTHEMS.......IN THE MEANTIME......SO, DOING NOTHING IS THE WORST THING.........SO DON'T STALL, JUST BECAUSE HE DOESN'T WANT A PACEMAKER IN HIS CHEST......BECAUSE EVERYONE I've SEEN, HAS LIVED LONGER....
THE WORST THING TO DO.....IS TO FIDDLE AROUND...STALL TIME......SO..GET GOING, AND GET THE SECOND OPINION......SOON, AND IT'S WORTH PAYING FOR.......THEN YOU WON'T FEEL "PUSHED INTO ANYTHING"......
YOU CAN GET GREAT MEDICAL CARE....SIMILAR TO THIS....BY GOING TO:

www.AskFreeDoctor.com or CALL: 850-217-9974

THIS SITE SHOULD BE BOOKMARKED AND KEPT FOR ALWAYS....BECAUSE THEY WILL REPLY BY EMAIL WITHIN HOURS FOR FREE....OR YOU CAN PAY JUST $9.99 AND TALK DIRECTLY TO A DOCTOR, RIGHT THEN AND THERE....FOR AS LONG AS IT TAKES TO UNDERSTAND, AND NO EXTRA FEES. 
 Sincerely, 
 Curtis

Ajcardiac · Answer

I would need to know what type of tachycardia it was before I can answer.
Atrial fibrillation
Atrial flutter
Atrial tachycardia
Ventricular tachycardia?

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Ablation vs. pacemaker?

6 Answers